Assembly polls to promote afforestation in Kerala

Will the May 16 assembly polls help reduce deforestation worries and increase green cover in Kerala?
As several places in the southern state are reeling under the severe summer heat, district authorities are using innovative methods during the polls to drive home the need for increasing green cover in the state.
The district administrations in high range Wayanad and Pathanamthitta are getting ready to distribute tree saplings to voters and candidates and launching awareness programmes for the green cause.
Wayanad collector Kesavendrakumar said they were planning to distribute at least one million tree saplings among voters on the polling day on May 16 through polling stations under the programme titled 'Orma Maram'.

Traditional tree varieties, especially fruit-bearing and flowering trees and bamboos, were selected to be distributed among voters, he said.
"All first-time voters, senior citizens and physically challenged, who arrive at the polling stations to exercise their franchise, will get tree saplings," he said.

"We have identified 47 areas which register low voting percentage in the previous election. To increase the turn out this time, we are planning to distribute tree saplings to every voters, who cast votes there," he said.
They can either take the saplings to home and plant at own gardens or plant it at public places, river banks or road sides. The saplings, planted at public places, would be monitored by a specially-formed group of volunteers. He said.

Pathanamthitta District Collector S Harikishore has a
detailed plan to make the May 16 polls a 'green affair'.
With the support of the state "Suchitwa Mission", the district administration has announced a series of programmes including the distribution of tree saplings among candidates to achieve the goal.
"We are planning to distribute at least 100 tree saplings to candidates. The contestants gets their sapling when they come to file the nominations. We have selected the saplings of mango varieties for distribution," Harikishore said.
Student volunteers have been roped in to create awareness among the candidates about the need of reducing flex boards and plastic materials during the time of campaigning and urge them to use eco-friendly campaign materials.

As part of the 'green election' programme, the rooms of all the five returning offices would be decorated using plants and organic materials like bamboo to convey the message of environment conservation, the collector added.